Slidecraft



' June 17, 1969 E. BRENTER SLIDECRAFT Filed Feb. 10, 1967 3 mm D m SL Erich Brenfer IN VE N TOR.

United States Patent 3,450,413 SLIDECRAFI Erich Brenter, Heide 163, Hallein, Austria Filed Feb. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 615,245 Claims priority, application Austria, Feb. 10, 1966, A 1,234/66 Int. Cl. B62b 13/04 US. Cl. 280--16 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE My present invention relates to a single-track slidecraft or ski coaster, particularly for winter sports.

In my copending application Ser. No. 615,244 of even date I have shown a ski coaster comprising a frame which is upwardly convexly curved. A forward ski is hinged to a control column or steering post which is rotatably mounted in the frame. A rear ski is hinged to the forward and rear ends of the frame and under initia-l stress. Diificulties have been encounterd in the use of such slidecraft owing to the fact that the weight of the drivers and the initial stress of the rear ski vary. The variation of the initial stress of the rear ski may be due to manufacturing tolerances as well as to weather conditions.

It is an object of the invention to eliminate these variations by the provisions of means for adjusting the initial stress of the rear ski.

The forward end of the rear ski may be hinged to the frame and connected to it so as to be adjustable in height. To accomplish this object, I propose to provide a strap or 'fin which lies substantially in a vertical plane and is provided with a plurality of bores and secured to the rear side of the forward part of the frame. The forward end of the rear ski is provided with a substantially horizontally extending bifurcation formed by a sleeve which has in the middle a transverse slot forming a passage for the strap. The forward end of the rear ski is connected to the frame by a threaded fastener which extends through the opening of the sleeve and a bore of the strap.

The rear end of the rear ski may be pivoted to the frame and connected to it for adjustment in height in the same or similar manner. The top part of the frame might bear resiliently upon the rear ski, or the forward end of the rear ski might be arranged so as to be adjustable in height relatively to the frame; in either case, the relative elevation of the front and rear ends of this ski will be subject to adjustment.

An embodiment of a slidecraft according to the invention is diagrammatically shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation and FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, are on an enlarged scale a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing the adjustable connection of the forward end of the rear ski to the frame and a sectional view taken on line IIIIII in FIG. 2.

With reference to the drawing, a rear ski 1 is connected to a seat-supporting frame 4. A strap 6 is welded to the rear side of the forward leg of the frame 4 and is formed with a plurality of bores, e.g., three bores 7, which are vertically spaced apart. A sheet-steel element 8 is secured with bolts and nuts 9 to the forward end 2 of the rear ski 1. At its forward end, the sheet-steel plate '8 is rolled up to form a pair of sleeve portions 10 with aligned openings 11. The tubular portions 10 flank a forwardly open central slot 12 forming a passage for the strap 6. A bolt 13 may be passed through any of the three bores 7 and through the opening 11 of the sleeve portions 10 and may be fixed in position by a nut 14 screwed onto the bolt so that the sleeve portions can be secured to the strap 6 in three different positions. The control column or steering post 5 is rotably journaled in the forward leg of the frame 4 on which the perforated strap 6 forms a rearwardly facing fin straddled :by the bifurcations 10, 12. A forward ski 15 is hinged to the lower end of the control column 5 to swing in the plane of frame 4.

Depending on the kind of snow and the weight of the driver, and for a compensation of tolerances and a re adjustment of the initial stress, the forward end 2 of the rear ski 1 may be secured to the strap 6 in different positions.

A hinge 16 connects the rear end 3 of the rear ski 1 to rear leg of the frame 4. The connection 16 may be springloaded for vertical adjustability of this end 3 relatively to the pivoted front end 2.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski coaster comprising an upwardly curved seatsupporting frame with a forward leg and a rear leg, a steering post journaled in said forward leg, a front ski hingedly secured to the bottom of said post, and a rear ski having a rear end hingedly secured to said rear leg, said rear ski having a front end provided with pivotal fastening means for releasably connecting same with said forward leg with freedom of relative swinging motion in the plane of said frame; one of said ends of said rear ski being vertically adjustable for varying the relative elevation of said ends.

2. A ski coaster as defined in claim 1 wherein said forward leg is provided with a rearwardly facing fin lying in a substantially vertical plane, said fastening means including a bifurcation on said front end straddling said fin.

3. A ski coaster as defined in claim 2 wherein said fin is perforated and said bifiurcation comprises a sheetmetal plate with a forwardly open slot and tubular portions flanking said slot, said tubular portions having openings aligned with a perforation of said fin, said fastening means further including a bolt traversing said openings and said perforation.

4. A ski coaster as defined in claim 3 wherein said fin has a plurality of vertically spaced perforations selectively alignable with the openings of said tubular portions for receiving said bolt.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,968,975 8/1934 Upsacker et al. 280-46 BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner. R. R. SONG, Assistant Examiner. 

